October 16, 1996: Season structures announced

More than half the teams in the ARL would make the finals.

There have been examples over the years of every team in a competition making the finals.

During World War I in the VFL, the same team claimed the wooden spoon and the flag in the same year!

But the ARL’s attempts to outshine Super League in 1997 involved getting another week of finals from the fact that seven of 12 teams would qualify for the play-offs.

B…